Friday, November 16, 2012

Dietrich von Spülge and his escorting Mounted Jägers were still twenty miles far from the Grühne and about forty more to Dreichholm. Grübsheim has been under siege for two days now.
They rode until dusk, then Von Spülge sent forward a smaller detachment of troops with orders to the Brigade to make ready for march. This detachment rode through a small fortification guarding the southern end of the bridge on the Grühne, the commander of which deliberately offered to send his own Hussars even more forward.
It still takes at least two days for the Brigade to get the orders and mobilize. Meanwhile, the siege is on again.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The Flossian army had prepared to storm Grübsheim. They had a full brigade of foot with two artillery batteries and a pioneer battalion. Von Leuchtenberg studied the outlay of the defensive works:

Grübsheim is near a lake on the left bank of the River Grühne. The lake is connected to the walls with a canal and supplies the moat surrounding the fort with plenty of water. There's one crossing on the canal guarded by three towers. More guntowers are placed around the walls, marked as dark red dots on the sketch above.

The fort itself is a star-shaped one with an outer wall which ties the two ends of the moat together in the south. 'This is where we'll attack', announced von Leuchtenberg. 'After the outer wall is crushed, all we've got to do is take them out by force. Send the Pandurs over that crossing and see if they can pass,' he ordered Colonel von Werther. 'Take the pioneers if you'd want to, but make sure they pack up some siege weapons for the rest of the brigade.'

Saturday, November 10, 2012

'How dare you!'
Dietrich von Spülge entered the corridor of the High Chancellery shouting all the way to von Südflosse's office, and when he finally arrived into the room, he showed no intention to stop. 'How dare you not warning me that my hometown has been fallen to Flossian hands, you ruffian, you, you... Son of a baker, darn clerk, you will pay for this!'
'Excuse me, Herr Generalleutnant, I am writing orders', Erik von Südflosse told him. Spülge's rage was gone in a second. 'What sort of orders?', he asked, hoping for the best.
Von Südflosse signed the papers and then sealed the envelope. 'Orders for the Dreichholm Brigade to march west and liberate Grübsdorf from the enemy siege. By chance, take back Spülge too. Look, I knew I couldn't stop you from attacking those wretched Flossians, let us make it legal once and for all. In the meantime, I'm sending orders to dear old Hohenspitz too: he will attack as soon as he can. This is a level of threat we did not expect: don't turn it into peril.'
'Sir', von Spülge bowed then left in a quick pace. He rode to Dreichholm immediately and started marching towards Grübsheim.

The fort of Grübsheim was held by 6 battalions of foot - a fusilier and a militia regiment -, plus a squadron of dragoons. They were facing the full force of the Union, but were keen to hold the walls. They knew help would come, but did not know when. Judging by the fate of Spülge, their only option was to hold.
The Flossian army - at least the foot as the cavalry brigade decided to spend a few days in Spülge, in the inhabitants' empty homes - slowly surrounded Grübsheim and made itself ready to storm the walls.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

In the fog of dawn, the 5th Klaußstadt Cavalry Brigade, which left the town of Geistwold during the last, starless night, gathered and took up formations at the outskirts of Spülge, on the left (western) bank of the River Grühne, and at first sunlight the first squadrons descended on the town.

Rolled 1d10 to see how many miltia battalions are quartered in Spülge = resulted in 4. Rolled 1d20 for commander's Training, -1 Militia Officer, = resulted in 18-1, Seasoned.

Von Strutzenheim and the two heavy cavalry regiments arrived from the northern road leading to Geistwold. His plan was relatively simple, but he hoped the spies' informations were correct and there was an ignorable force stationed in Spülge. 'It will be an easy ride, my fellows', he said, then continued on to explain the plan.

The light cavalry regiments, the III. Carabiniers and the IV. Hussars will circle round the town and attack from the southern road as a first wave.